The view from a small corner of Anglesey...
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Newborough Forest from Llanddwyn Island
Who'd think as they wandered along the beach to Llanddwyn Island that one forest could be the cause of heated debate. Should the forest go because it interfers with the movement of sand and lowers water tables under it; or should it stay as a reserve for red squirrels, ravens, leaches, toads and shivering tourists sheltering from the elements?
In Winter 2014-2015, 21ha along the coast towards Malltreath and around the main carpark were felled including the remnants of the early planting trials. Large breaches in the costal dunes have been created to encourage sand to blow inland.
Meanwhile the shoreline retreats, the picnic area at the end of the disabled walkway buit in 2013 collapsed in to the sea in Jan 2014, when storms ate 10m into the dunes.
I have been monitoring the water levels across
the warren for the last 10 years, independently of CCW (now part of
NRW). My observations are that flooding across the warren is controlled
by the rainfall, and lowered by coastal erosion. In 2015 NRW started
monitoring a small part of the forest adjacent to the warren as part of
a 3 year study to assess the effects of clearfelling a small block of
forest, a few hundred meters from where major excavation work occurred
earlier in 2015. I have been told by CCW staff that if the results show
that clearfelling the forest has increased water levels by a millimeter
then CCW will press for large scale removal of the forest.
These pages concentrate on the debate around the hydrological isssues such as 'does the forest effect water levels in the warren?'.
Copyright © Martin Hollingham